In the Clearing,
by J.P. Pomare, portrays a woman named Freya Heywood who lives roughly an hour
outside of Melbourne. Freya lives with her young son, Billy. Unfortunately, an
incident 20 years ago resulted in Freya losing her first child. Freya has a
dark and hidden past that goes farther than just the loss of her child. She
does her best to fit in with all the other moms though. By being a yoga teacher, driving
a Range Rover, and always speaking in her best “mom” voice for Billy. Living nearby,
Amy is among a dozen children and adults living in The Clearing, a cult led by
a woman who goes by Adrienne. Amy and her “siblings” are abused constantly. They
are malnourished, beaten, sexually abused, and when they make any mistake, no
matter how insignificant, they are punished in terrifying ways. Adrienne
convinces the cult members that they must complete a “circle”. To do this, the
cult kidnaps children with blonde hair and blue eyes so that they can “liberate
a child from the world outside”. Freya has a high-tech security system
surrounding her house and lives her life in caution. Freya begins noticing
signs around her house that signal danger to her family. Soon, Freya and Amy’s
lives intertwine in unexpected ways when Amy attempts to escape and runs to the
closest shelter, Freya’s house. Throughout the book, Pomare depicts Freya and
Amy’s lives in parallel until eventually, they come together to create a
mind-blowing storyline… that is based on a true story.
This is the type of book
that, once you start reading it, you simply cannot put it down. Every chapter has
its own twists and turns, and the two storylines constantly keep you on the
edge of your seat, wondering how these two characters’ lives connect. I would
highly recommend this book if you like suspense and action novels. This book is
also based on a real cult that existed in the 1960s-70s where the cult members
would kidnap kids with blonde hair and blue eyes to complete their “circle”. If
you also enjoy watching true crime documentaries, then In the Clearing
is likely the book for you!
This book sounds absolutely amazing, and they way you portrayed it in your book review made me incredibly curious and wanting to read it. I love how you waited to say that it was based on a true story as I was so surprised when you did mention it. A question I have now is, what was the theme or moral of the book, and how did that effect you after you read it?
ReplyDeleteThe way you describe how reading the book feels like, is a really nice touch to this review. You describe how every chapter has its own plot twists and how the book constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat. But, It's how you describe the storyline is what makes me think this is an excellent book review. Keeping me engaged, almost like I'm reading the book first hand. You do this while not spoiling too much of the plot, making me want to read more to find out.
ReplyDelete